THE BROGUE – the country shoe with soggy origins..

This hardy shoe has soggy origins. Originating in Scotland and Ireland, it started as heavy untanned leather with perforations which were not for decoration but to allow water to drain from the shoes whilst walking through bogs and other wet lands. Brogueing now is purely decorative. The name derived from Brog which is Gaelic for shoe. It became a country walking and sports shoe when the gentry saw the benefits.
A Brogue can be any style of shoe Oxford, Derby, Monk etc, but it becomes a Brogue due to the decorative perforations and serration along edges of the leather. There are also different types of Brogues:

The Full Brogues or Wingtips- called a wingtip because the style forms a W shape and looks similar to a bird with extended wings. This W shape is perforated and serrated along the edges and usually there are additional decorative perforations in the centre of the toe cap

Loake's full oxford brogue from www.rubbersoles.co.uk

Loake from Northampton is most famous for its Goodyear welted footwear and make the traditional full brogue in the oxford style at a reasonable price of £94.99 sold through www.rubbersole.co.uk . This comes in brown or black and Rubber Sole offer free next day delivery to any UK mainland destination if you order before 4pm.

Grenson's Noble oxford brogue

Another heritage brand from the Northampton shoe capital is Grenson established in 1866 and re-launched in 2006 by new owner and creative director Tim Little “to bring the iconic brogue to a new generation of men”. Here they show that full brogues can range from the fine to the chunky.
For the more understated elegant look Grenson’s Noble oxford type full brogue has tiny punching and the design is kept to a minimum to provide a lighter weight brogue. The price is also of lightweight design, originally £150 but on sale for £120. Calf leather comes in tan (as shown in image), or black. www.grenson.co.uk

Grenson's Archie derby brogue

For the chunkier brogue Grenson have the derby style shoe Archie with its oversized perforations and thick triple leather soles.The only thing not exaggerated about this shoe is the price at a reasonable £180. Comes in honey calf hi shine leather (as shown in image), or tan and black calf smooth leather.

H by Husdon's Rafferty oxford brogue

H by Hudson, the errant younger brother branch of Hudson shoes, throws their full brogues in to the washing machine to create an all over washed look. Don’t try this at home though (especially not with the whites) as Hudson does use a careful process of washing the shoes to transform them in to a vintage look. Their Rafferty shoe is a washed brown vintage look brogue with a hidden elastic section for added comfort and ease of wear. Price £100 in brown or black from www.hudsonshoes.com

J Shoes' Charlie oxford brogues

For another youthful look go for J. Shoes from www.jshoes.com . Their Charlie brogues have the faded look and come in dark grey, peanut, brown and bone colour – the peanut and bone are great shades for the summer months.

Angelo Galasso oxford brogues

Also for the summer months there are the light weight Angelo Galasso white oxford brogues with pale blue trim and AG perforated on the toe cap. – can be purchased at his stand alone shop at 8-10 Hans Road London. 0207 584 3978.

Herring's Disraeli monk brogue

And for the Monk style, go to Herrings own range of footwear made for them by Barkers, Cheaney, Loakes and Sargents on www.herringsshoes.co.uk Here shown in chestnut calf leather , the Disraeli from their Premier Collection also comes in black calf leather. Price £225.00

Nothing soggy about the brogue now!

The other brogue styles to follow in next blog.

Hudson- men's footwear

Hudson, a London based company, has been creating men’s footwear for 20 years. And to celebrate their 20th anniversary, they have designed a birthday shoe called the “Bowman”. The birthday shoe is available in black or tan leather as well as green, navy, grey and tan suede- all with two toned leather laces giving an edgy look. The shoe is of Californian construction and the heel formed by tongue and groove slots. The leather sole is stamped with the actual anniversary date 10/10/1990 along with their signature bird. This shoe epitomises Hudson’s philosophy of quality, form and great design.

Also in their main line brand designs is the “Pauli” – their first shoe to have a microlite sole.

In 2004 H by Hudson was launched as the errant younger brother to the main line brand – leading the way in footwear trends and offering affordable innovative footwear whilst staying true to its roots of high quality.
Their Autumn/Winter 2010/11 collection is titled “Into the Wild” and was mainly inspired by Christopher McCandless, a young American who adopted the name Alexander Supertramp and in 1990 hiked into the Alaskan wilderness to live a period of solitude.
The designs are eclectic ranging from the moccasin to the pointed evening shoe therefore appealing to every taste. There are the London East End brogues, high top moccasins, the hybrid moccasin/deck shoe and the working boots. The classic lace up brogues has been updated with their washed look around the toes. This has been achieved by rubbing the leather with alcohol resulting in a cloudy effect. (And we thought alcohol only affected vision). Hudson have pioneered this alcohol wash and so setting a trend. Other footwear has literally been thrown in to the washing machine to create an all over washed look. Don’t try this at home though and especially not with the whites.
Stockists include Office; Urban Outfitters, Selfridges, Mywardrobe.com, ASOS and small independent boutiques.

Again to celebrate their 20th anniversary, Liberty’s will start stocking at the end of June a number of styles from the mainline collection including the “birthday “shoe.